Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 THOUSAND OAKS (3-12) – UC Santa Cruz finished up their time in Southern California as they took on NCAA Division III #10 St. John Fisher College and NCAA Division III #11 Wentworth Institute of Technology. The Banana Slugs had both matches go to five sets, losing 3-2 to the Cardinals in the morning match and winning 3-2 over the Leopards.
 
Match #1 – vs. #10 St. John Fisher College (22-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-13, 22-24)
 
In the first set, the Cardinals would start the set on a 10-5 run before the Banana Slugs would work their way back and tie the set at 18-18 on a service ace by Zac Pittard. The set would be tied twice more but the Cardinals would score two of the final three points of the set to win the first set 25-22. In the second set, the Banana Slugs would start the set on a 16-10 run capped by an Ethan Makishima kill. The Cardinals would then go on a 11-4 run to take the lead at 21-20. After the Cardinals took their largest lead of the set at 23-21, the Banana Slugs reeled off four straight points to win the second set 25-23.

In the third set, neither team gained more than a one point lead for the first forty-four serves. The Cardinals would take the lead for good at 23-22 and won the third set 25-23. In the fourth set, the Banana Slugs would start the set on a 10-4 run capped by a Cinjun Coe kill, and expanded their lead to 21-11 on Colton Jeffrey's kill before winning the fourth set 25-13.

In the deciding fifth set, the Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the set of three at 8-5 on a Mohan Duvvuri kill. The Cardinals would however tie the set at 13-13 on a service ace by Paul Hackford. The lead would swing back and forth for the next eighteen serves before the Cardinals scored the final two points of the set to win the fifth set 24-22 and the match.
 
Aaron Fox led the Banana Slugs with a career-high 20 kills and 16 digs. Coe added 17 kills and Duvvuri had a career-high 63 assists.
 
Match #2 vs. #11 Wentworth Institute of Technology (21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 21-25, 15-12)
 
The Leopards would win the first set 25-21. The Banana Slugs would start the second set on an 18-11 run capped by a service ace by Tennessee Fulks and gained their largest lead of the set at 22-12 on a service ace by Pittard. The Banana Slugs won the second set 25-19. The Banana Slugs won the third set 25-17, but in the fourth set, the Leopards would start on a 11-8 run. The Banana Slugs worked their way back into the set and would take the lead at 17-16. However the Leopards retook the lead at 20-19 on an assisted block and would win the fourth set 25-21.

In the fifth set, the two teams traded points, and the lead, for the first twelve serves. The Banana Slugs gained the lead for good at 7-6 on a Pittard kill and won the fifth set 15-12 and the match 3-2.
 
Fox had 18 kills to lead the Banana Slugs. Pittard, Fulks and Jeffrey each had 11. Pittard and Fulks each had six block assists. 
The next matches for the Banana Slugs will be March 24^th as they travel to Wisconsin to face St. Norbert College and Lakeland University.